SEAL Team Photos: Jessica Paré Returns, Directs Jason’s Next Big Battle
As promised in December, former SEAL Team member Jessica Paré recently rejoined the CBS drama—to direct a pivotal upcoming episode. And TVLine has exclusive photos (below) of her directing in her directorial debut.
Update (September 3): TVLine also learned that in the same March 24 episode, Paré will also make a brief appearance as Mandy Ellis.
A former original cast member, Paré’s series regular role came to an end in this season’s two-part premiere, when Mandy—fresh off her latest deployment, in which she tragically lost another asset—told Jason (David Boreanaz) that she had decided she had served her time. She couldn’t keep “moving forward” like he did.
“Losing a CI in Venezuela, then losing another CI in Afghanistan… that affected Mandy,” showrunner Spencer Hudnut told TVLine. “The choice she made was a brave choice, realizing like Jason that this job was costing her a lot of money, and she had the opportunity to get out and make a life for herself. It was a really hard choice for Mandy…. But in that moment, she found the strength to walk away.”
Hudnut later said that the door was intentionally left open for Paré to return—in part because she was making her directorial debut, with the episode airing Wednesday, March 24 (in which “Jason has to fight for his career without the support of his brothers”).
